Friday the Thirteenth
by CorpseGrl
Summary: A story told in a series of 221B ficlets based on the prompt "thirteenth" - Sherlock inquires about the rituals surrounding Friday the Thirteenth - Part of a one-a-day Sherlolly challenge. Will be a slow build but I promise fluffy endings!
1. Superstition

_**AN: Went searching for a prompt on tumblr and this one word stuck: "thirteenth." Of course this meant "Friday the Thirteenth" to me. I've decided to write this as a series of 221B ficlets for added challenge. As of right now there will be a minimum of 4 parts. Enjoy!**_

_Disclaimer: The characters portrayed in this drabble are not mine but borrowed from the writers/creators of BBC Sherlock. All rights reserved._

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Molly was not a superstitious person. Of course she couldn't deny that she made the customary birthday wish every year. Although that was getting more frustrating as there were more candles and her wishes never came true. She still carried unrequited love for the world's only (resurrected) consulting detective. No, Molly knew better than to believe in wishes, signs or superstition. None of that stopped her from dreading Friday the Thirteenth though.

She absolutely did not like the horror movie marathons that her friends would invite her to watch every time. Molly didn't want to watch any film guaranteed to scare you half to death for two reasons: (1) she cut open cadavers all day so it wasn't fun to spend her free time watching more bodies being disassembled and (2) she didn't need to think about any of them rising up to rend flesh in the dark morning hours when everything was creepier in the morgue. She really was more the action movie type.

So tonight, Molly was happy to go home, put on her ratty pyjamas, pour a glass of wine and settle in with a Marvel movie marathon. There was nothing wrong with a little fantasizing about superheroes (or villains).

But Molly did have a curse on her that night that no amount of wishful thinking would banish.

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**NB: This is part of a one-a-day Sherlolly challenge, so there will eventually be Sherlock and fluff. Part Two will also be up tonight. Let me know your thoughts! - CG**


	2. There Came a Knocking

_Disclaimer: Second verse, same as the first._

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The loud knocking on her front door was characteristic of every horror movie she'd never seen. And it fulfilled its cinematic duty by scaring her out of her skin.

Laying in a heap in front of her sofa, red wine spilling to stain both carpet and hair, Molly swore loudly. When the heart-thumping in her head receded, she realized some of the pounding was still on the door. Only one person would come knocking at her door this time of night. Sherlock Holmes. Just her (bad) luck.

She opened the door and hissed at him, "What do you want?"

"I need your assistance, Molly, social experiment. May I come in?"

What a surprise, he needs something. "Yeah, sure, come on in."

Sherlock did his customary sweep of the place. Once, she would have worried about what he saw, but he already knew all about her housekeeping, or lack thereof. Molly would guess that Baker Street wasn't spotless either. She got a rag to dab at her hair while Sherlock explained.

"What is the point of this pseudo-holiday? Why do people indulge superstitious nonsense and scare themselves? What's the point?"

"You want me to explain Friday the Thirteenth to you? Why didn't you ask John?"

"I tried, but apparently Mary is a huge fan of so-called horror, so John is 'busy.'"

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**NB: Hope this isn't too bad for the first two parts. I do promise the "social experiment" will be worth it. Let me know your thoughts! - CG**


	3. Social Experiment

_Disclaimer: Same story, no copyright infringement intended._

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"So it fulfills some sort of throwback _emotional_ need! That's absolute rubbish," he scoffed.

"I'm just telling you what I remember. I might have a book about it here, something about the need to confront death." Molly headed toward her bookshelf.

Molly had almost chosen to study anthropology rather than pathology at university and still found it very interesting. Sherlock could do with a better understanding of the human condition.

"There is another explanation, but I think it only applies to the couples-watching-scary-movies-together part," Molly began, not making eye contact. It involved 'relationships' which he had a notoriously poor attitude toward.

He raised an eyebrow, "Please do continue."

Sarcasm. Oh, this was going to be a wonderful conversation. Tonight really was cursed.

"Well they say that being scared triggers the 'fight-or-flight' response which mimics arousal and so the couple feels more in love when they get scared together," she rushed through the explanation, trying vainly not to blush, "Probably doesn't hurt that girls will cling onto their boyfriends in the dark either."

Sherlock hummed to himself, clearly thinking over what Molly had said. "Alright, that sounds like a testable hypothesis."

"Okay...what?" Molly was confused, he must have skipped something.

"Simple science. We will test your theory by watching one of those films and gauging our reactions afterward. Shall we begin?"

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**NB: There it is, a 'social experiment' involving watching a scary movie with Molly. Hope this wasn't too slow of a chapter, but I don't want to rush the experiment. There will be more than 4 parts now that I've got the experiment set up, though, a little dark but with fluffy at the end. Part 4 up next! - CG**


	4. Scared in the Dark

_Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended._

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It was the most ridiculous thing Sherlock had asked her. No, nothing could top asking her to 'kill' him without letting him die. This was close though. He wanted to watch a scary movie with her to see what would happen?! She gaped at him.

"Close your mouth, Molly. It's just an experiment. I'm trying to be better at social skills and this could be interesting." He pulled out his phone, typing while he talked, "I have even ordered pizza, isn't that customary?"

Her mouth snapped shut and she tried to object, "I don't think I have any scary movies."

"This one should do." He plucked a copy of _The Punisher_ from her collection. It was a Marvel movie, but it was dark with plenty of bloodshed. She shuddered, not sure if it was from the idea of watching the movie or watching it with Sherlock.

Thirty minutes later she was hiding her face in Sherlock's shoulder as tragedy turned Castle into an anti-hero. For his part, Sherlock looked equally disturbed. She was sure that the movie was reminding him of his own motivations and actions wiping out Moriarty's web.

"Should we turn it off? I've got other movies we could watch."

"No. This is fine." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tighter to his body.

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**AN: So sorry this went to a dark place, but they had to watch a scary movie after all. I do own _The Punisher_ and it always makes me cringe. Watching it for this part made me pretty queasy so the next part won't come until tomorrow, my apologies. Just keep picturing them cuddling on the couch and it might make the dark a bit lighter. Reviews would also be lovely! ;) - CG**


	5. Observer Effect

_Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended._

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Molly hated that she had been so cliche as to grab him like that. It was a heady feeling, being that close to Sherlock. She expected him to shove her away as if he had been assaulted. When he didn't, she realized he welcomed the contact. He had clearly been comparing himself to the anti-hero and she worried that this could trigger nightmarish flashbacks to his time away. For a while she distracted herself from the more graphic scenes by sneaking glances at him, trying to glimpse what he was thinking.

"Stop watching me, Molly, you'll ruin the experiment. Observer effect. Just watch the movie."

Molly grabbed a piece of pizza to nibble at and tried her best to not throw up.

Although it did have some lighter moments, like when an informant was 'tortured' with an ice lolly - she would swear Sherlock smirked, the movie was just as gory as she had remembered. But that was not what was making her stomach churn. Being close to him was terrific and terrifying. To any outsider it would look like a perfectly normal (dare she say it) _date_. His arm draped protectively over her shoulder, her body clinging to him, curling safely into his. It shouldn't be this comfortable. This was Sherlock after all. He could never be a normal boyfriend.

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**NB: Really short one but I needed to get through the movie to get to the good bits that come after. High emotions lead to bold actions. - CG**


	6. Outburst

_Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended._

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The credits rolled and Molly was shivering, terrified. Sherlock had been too quiet during the final scenes, his body tense. Molly had never been scared of him but she knew, without a doubt, that he was capable of the destruction they had just witnessed. There was blood on his hands not from silver screen sleight of hand. She was afraid to look at him.

Softly, struggling to find her voice, she spoke, "Are you okay?"

"Thank you, Molly." Sherlock's voice was low. It shocked her into action.

"Don't thank me, this was a terrible idea! I should never have agreed to this." She pushed away, trying to stand. He caught her hand, keeping her by the couch. He didn't let her go.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's clear you're upset, Sherlock. Don't try to pretend that you aren't."

"I don't deny that. But the experiment was a success."

"The experiment!? You could be suffering from PTSD, Sherlock. Emotions aren't things you can play around with," her voice trembled, "I'm worried about you." How she could be so angry and scared and so in love with this beautiful broken man all at once?

"That's my point. The experiment worked, I understand the emotions now."

Not giving her a chance to comprehend, Sherlock pulled Molly down into his arms, kissing her brazenly.

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**NB: So much emotional turmoil to get here, glad I finally made it. Only one part left, lovlies, hope it's satisfying. - CG**


	7. A Curse Lifted

_Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended._

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It was too much. He felt so right, but Sherlock didn't go around kissing people. Molly broke away and stared into his eyes, searching for answers.

"I believe we have proven your hypothesis." His gravelly voice broke her trance.

"Experiments again!" She pulled away, successfully this time.

Sherlock tried to look chagrined, but a smile tugged at his lips. Her eyes blazed, only making him smile wider. She was going to kill him for real this time.

"Although the movie did have some unanticipated effects, the night has gone as planned, yes. Love is not a mystery to me. Based on the chemistry we already have, I wanted more interaction. Fear is a great stimulus and allowed us to share tonight without any useless self-consciousness from either of us."

Molly put it all together, "This was a_ date_?"

"Yes. I care for you and needed you to believe me. I knew you would doubt my sincerity if I just asked you for coffee."

Molly shook her head in amazement, only Sherlock Holmes would think that the way to a girl's heart was by stopping it.

"Another movie?"

"Actually, you interrupted just as we were getting results," he murmured reclaiming her lips.

Molly had been wrong about Friday the Thirteenth. What had started out as a curse had turned into a blessing.

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**NB: Sorry it took a bit longer than I had planned to get here, for a second I was almost afraid I'd end up with 13 parts. The 'social experiment' really was a date, but Sherlock would never have a normal date. Hopefully the conclusion of kisses in the dark makes up for all the unpleasantness of the movie they watched (It's really not a bad movie, just a bit gruesome. I'm told some people like that). Reviews are love! - CG**


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